Riding on Bikes with Skirts – A Summer of No Pants Guest Post

I’m so excited to be posting today as part of the Summer of No Pants! I had a great time going pants-less last summer, and I was very excited when Marigold invited me to join as a guest blogger this time around. I thought the best post for me would be to use my time to evangelize to everyone about riding on bikes with skirts!

Yes, bikes and skirts! You can look nice and still be active! Summer weather is the perfect time to eschew vehicular modes of transportation and travel in the open air! I actually do not own a car, and I reside in the self-proclaimed bike capital of the country, so I bike all year long. I suppose that’s not as comfortable for people who live where it snows. But no excuses now! The sun is shining! Get that cruiser out, pump up the tires, and go for a ride!

Riding bicycles in a skirt isn’t a novel idea, by any means. If women traveled locally from the late-1800s until the middle of the last century, there’s a good chance it was on a bike. And bicycles empowered women! They could get places independently, and it encouraged some fashion change to help with our independence as well. Did bikes eventually lead to the comfortable way we dress now that’s the very reason for Summer of No Pants? Umm… no comment.

Tips for riding

So I have a step through type bike. This is obviously easier for skirted riding than one with a bar across, but non-step throughs are totally cool too. The main points to remember there are to tilt the bike toward you, and maybe use walls to your advantage as you get on and off wherever possible to minimize exposure. These are my best tips to prevent feeling exposed while riding.

Tilt your knees together. Pretty simple alteration to make when you ride. Just angle them a bit closer together to minimize the gap, should you be concerned with gazes at your nether region. Just try to pretend you’re uber ladylike.

Tuck longer billowy skirts under you as you sit. We don’t want that extra fabric billowing out and up. Breezy fabrics can easily be caught by breezes.

It is OK (and not against SONP regulations!) to wear something under your skirt! The girls on the school monkey bars wear little shorties, and you can too if you want a little more modesty. Shorties, leggings of any length, fun and fancy bloomers, or tights in cooler weather can add a feeling of security as you ride.

Place a hand strategically between legs when needed. You’ve got two hands, you can spare one, right? Unless you’re one of those people that can ride without any hands at all. Then I envy you.

Skirt garters! I haven’t personally used these, but good idea, right? An elastic band around your thigh that clips onto your skirt to keep it in place. Genius!

Place a rubber band around a penny to make your skirt into pants. Super timely! This was just posted the other day, and it’s kinda hilarious.

Types of skirts

Let’s go over some different types of skirts and how well they work for biking.

Pencil – OK, this one is really the most awkward to ride in. There isn’t enough hip room to sit down without the entire thing coming up. And the lack of drape means there’s no extra fabric to fall between the legs. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it isn’t the best choice. A stretch fabric pencil, or one with a back vent helps.

Maxi/Midi – Anything in the calf to ankle range. A good choice for freedom of movement. No worry about the fit being too tight here! But beware the extra fabric! Clip or even knot the length so it doesn’t get tangled up or caught in the spokes of the back wheel or greasy from the chain. Midis and past the knee circle skirts can be tucked under as you ride.

A-line – An a-line knee length skirt is my favorite for riding my bike. There is enough room through the hips to sit, but not so much that it trails and creates a hazard or a dirty skirt. Flat or with gentle gathers or pleats work too. I suppose this is the “Baby Bear” category – not too tight, not too loose.

My super stretchy cotton lycra pencil with a back vent.

Crafty things to make

This wouldn’t be a crafty post without some suggestions on fun things to make to support your biking in skirts! Here are a few helpful tutorials around the web.

Can’t find skirts you like to ride in? Make one! I made this red floral one with a big side pocket to accommodate my non-vehicular transportation. I call it the Saturday Skirt, because it’s perfect for all the casual weekend trips to the park and the market, while on a bike, of course. The pattern is now available in my shop or at Craftsy with a promo price of $5 through this Friday the 11th!

So skip the car in your daily errands this summer! Got a skirt on? No problem! Hop on your bike for a trip downtown or to the store. Save some gas, get some sunshine, have fun, and wear No Pants!

LOL, love your angle for this post Darcie! As a real Dutchy, I agree, you can easily ride a bike in a skirt, though I avoid tight pencil skirts (the saddle leaves an ugly imprint when you dismount) and maxi, too dangerous, it either gets in my wheels or my foot gets caught… Since I usually have my 1yo and my 4yo with me on the bike, and my 6yo cycling next to me, I can’t bother with a dangerous maxi 😉
Your pattern looks great!

Thanks! I’m only a little bit Dutch, but I love the lifestyle! We have long time family friends there. My little kids ride in a bike trailer, I took it off for the pictures. The youngest just got her own bike, once she learns to ride it will be just for groceries!

A SKIRT GUARD!! Oh I had no idea the crochet thing over the back tire was for! Is is necessary to have a skirt guard if a back fender exists? Or rather, is it possible to have a skirt guard if there is already a fender over the back tire?

Yep, I’ve definitely seen them placed over fenders! It stops your skirt from getting caught in the spokes, which a fender won’t do. They’ve gone out of fashion here, but were popular before and still are more common in Europe, from what I’ve seen!